Ryu stepped out of the Keep. But, he hadn't expected to be asked a question he didn't know how to answer before he could even regain his bearings.
"Did I do something wrong?"
Ryu sat atop Nemesis, looking down at Sarriel whose eyes were practically leaking.
For everyone else, they saw a cute and loveable human girl who had been wronged. However, Ryu saw a frightingly beautiful Fey with the looks of a goddess… who had been wronged.
The first was already bad enough. But the latter was enough to leave Ryu at a loss for how to answer.
Did she do anything wrong? The correct answer was that Ryu didn't know. Maybe she had, but it was possible that she hadn't either.
Ryu suddenly found himself caring about how he responded to this question a bit too much, something that subconsciously made his gaze a hint colder. He didn't have the time for this carousel of emotion, and he definitely didn't want to deal with anyone who would constantly put him in such a situation.
As the saying went, old habits die hard. It was much easier for Ryu to simply put up a brick wall, especially if this woman was potentially dangerous.
But in the end, he sighed.
"You haven't done anything wrong, why do you ask?"
Sarriel blinked, her tears still half fallen. She didn't know how to respond to this either. Why had she asked? It was just a feeling. But, it wasn't exactly easy to convey a feeling so easily.
"You … aren't mad? I'm sorry about before…"
Ryu reached out a hand. "Those matters are already forgotten."
Sarriel looked at Ryu's hand, unsure of what he wanted. For a moment, she felt that this hand was almost more beautiful than her own. If she was honest, she wasn't supremely confident that it even was. Why did even his hand have to be like this?
"Are you coming?" Ryu asked.
"Oh…!"
Sarriel subconsciously grabbed Ryu's hand, only to find herself being swung to his back. It wasn't until she was about half way up that she realized Ryu's intention and began to blush profusely. Luckily for her, her face was hidden behind him.
"Nemesis."
"~NIE!"
…
At this moment, a crowd of youths had gathered at the entrance of the outer city, all looking toward a singular young man.
Ryu had chosen to appease Sarriel. It was a simple choice. If she really was innocent, then she didn't deserve cold treatment. And, if she wasn't, then making her feel as though her ploy was working was for the best, right? Only then would she become lax and expose herself.
Of course, this was just what Ryu told himself while trying to ignore the fact she was currently clinging to his back.
"We will be attacking another city today." Ryu said plainly. "Those who come will gain the rewards that come with that. Those who do not will not. You have one minute to make your decision."
Ryu had known from a very early age that he was not a good leader. He lacked patience, he didn't have a high threshold for tolerance, and although he had the emotional intelligence to empathize and understand, he never functionally acted upon it.
Taking responsibility for others wasn't something he liked to do. In fact, it was something he abhorred doing. He would never be able to hold someone else to the same standards he held for himself.
It was probably part of Ryu's emotional intelligence that he understood this about himself. But, it might also very well be a flaw in it that he was so unwilling or unable to change it. Or, more accurately… That he wasn't aware that this was something he had to change or if it was even worth it to do so.
It could be said that at this moment, Ryu was taking charge not because he wanted to, but because he had to. Whatever this Nether Palace had in store clearly required the cooperation of not just a single person. Yet, it also seemed that the rewards were very individual.
Those who heard Ryu's words were shocked.
Attacking another city? They hadn't even been completely certain that there would be others and now they were suddenly lurking an assault against one? They could hardly survive on their own, what would attacking another city do for them aside from throwing their lives away faster?
Ryu didn't say a word, nor did he rebuttal any of the murmurs. Though he was aware that whoever was pulling strings in the background wanted the 'illusion' of teamwork, he hadn't asked this question for the sake of following through on this. He instead wanted to check for something.
"I will go!" Zanlis stepped forward.
To his back, members of the Avangard family who Ryu could only assume had come with him. There were only four of them for a total of five, but it was obvious that they were all elites.
Ryu nodded, but didn't say anything more. He knew that Zanlis wouldn't have remained idle. This sort of man was ambitious and it was clear that he understood staying in one city might be safer for now, but this didn't mean that things would remain this way into the future.
With the addition of these five, it ballooned Ryu's group of three, excluding Nemesis, to eight. Of course, Niel could only follow along with a bitter smile, feeling that he had no choice but to follow.
Without Ryu, he would at best rank somewhere in the middle of all these geniuses. If he wanted to improve, he would have to take risks. Since he could use his relationship with Ryu to his advantage in this regard, if he still wasn't willing to risk his life, then what kind of man would he be?
"We would like to join as well."
A group of four stepped forward. It only took a glance for Ryu to see that they were members of the Orobona Clan. But, rather than questioning their motives, he simply nodded.
"One minute is up. Let's go."
Nemesis shot into the distance.
Just like that, 12 and a horse set off, leaving a group of speechless individuals. How were they supposed to attack a city with just that pitiful number…?